Fringe - The Complete First Season DVD Review

 

Is Fringe -The Complete First Season DVD box set worth it?

Fringe Season 1Teleportation, mind control, astral projection, invisibility, precognition, spontaneous combustion, reanimation: these are among the peripheral sciences or “pseudo-sciences,” examined during the first season of Fringe.  Watch the full first season (twenty episodes) on seven extras-laden discs.

The notion that those phenomena could have a genuine scientific basis is intriguing enough. But co-creator J.J. Abrams (whose bulging resume as a director, writer, and producer includes LostAlias, and the 2009 Star Trek feature film) had more on his mind.

Bonus features are many and varied; among the best are “Deciphering the Scene” (brief explications of key scenes in every episode) and “The Massive Undertaking” (detailing how certain special effects sequences were pulled off).

Product specifications

  • Actors: Anna Torv, Joshua Jackson, Lance Reddick, Kirk Acevedo, Blair Brown, Jasika Nicole with Mark Valley, and John Noble.
  • Format: Multiple Formats, AC-3, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
  • Language: English (Dolby Digital 5.1), Portuguese (Dolby Digital 5.1)
  • Subtitles: English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Thai
  • Dubbed: Portuguese
  • Number of discs: 7
  • Rating: Not Rated
  • Studio: Warner Home Video
  • Film Country: USA
  • DVD Release Date: September 8, 2009
  • DVD Region Code: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only)

==> Learn more about the show <==

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Products Pros and Cons

As with most things in life, DVD sets are not always perfect. Let’s see what are the positives and negatives of this set.

Pros

Box & storage

The 7 Disc comes in a durable DVD plastic case that is stable enough to carry all seven-disc and has a secure closure to prevent dust entry. The case comes in a cool lenticular slip DVD box.

DVD

The DVDs have nice designs and the menu navigation is easy to deal with but what’s shines the most are the special features on the DVDs. Not only does the Fringe Season 1 DVD set shine in bonus feature content, but in their production values, too.

Every episode has a “Fringe: Deciphering the Scene” mini-featurette breaking down one of the episode’s huge set pieces; many also have deleted scenes and/or additional episode-specific featurettes.

Evolution: The Genesis of Fringe featurette – The creators of the show discuss how the series unfolded and the qualities that make it so unique.

Behind the Real Science of Fringe featurette – From teleportation to re-animation, Fringe incorporates recent discoveries in science. Consulting experts and scientists who are the authorities in their field address the areas of science that are the inspiration for the show.

A Massive Undertaking: The Making of Fringe (on selected episodes) – An in-depth exploration of how selected episodes came to be made: from the frozen far reaches of shooting the pilot in Toronto, to the weekly challenges of bringing episodes to air.

The Casting of Fringe- The story, as told by producers and cast, of how Anna Torv, Joshua Jackson, John Noble, and others came to be cast in the series.

Fringe Visual Effects featurette – Goes deep into the creation of the shared dream state with some of the biggest VFX shots of the show.

Dissected Files: Unaired Scenes Unusual Side Effects.

Gag Reel Fringe: Deciphering the Scene- a Roberto Orci Production Diary Gene the Cow montage.

Three Full-Length Commentaries from writers/producers, including J.J. Abrams, Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman, J.R. Orci, David Goodman, Bryan Burk, Akiva Goldsman, and Jeff Pinkner

Seriously, I have never seen so many bonus features in just one season. Usually, the TV show’s first Season DVDs don’t have much on them.

Video & audio

Audio and video are of the best quality.  The picture is widescreen, the sound is Dolby Digital 5.1.

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Cons

It’s really hard to say negative things about this DVD set, the Box is great, the video and audio are of the best quality. But nothing is perfect and this box isn’t either.

My only complaint about it is how the extras are interspersed across the various DVDs.  While it makes perfect sense to match the deleted sequences and “anatomies of a scene” to the individual disc on which the corresponding episode is recorded, I found it very frustrating having to swap out numerous DVDs to watch all of the various featureless that deal with the series as a whole. Granted, they do give a spoiler warning but come on, that is just temptation for the Fringe watchers.

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Personal experience

I am very glad I bought this set. I know there are people who don’t really care about having DVDs anymore but call me old school but I like the feeling of ownership and having the choice the watch my favorite show wherever and whenever I want.

  

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Final Thoughts and Recommendation

This is a special box set because of the lenticular slip. Be aware that there are sellers who are selling a season 1 package in a normal DVD case or box. That is not this set. However, it is your choice to choose which one you prefer.

Whether you want it as a collectible or just to have the DVDs, it’s your choice. I obviously wanted it as a collectible and checked for a store where I was sure I will get the product that I wanted.

The rating for this box will be very easy, 100% for the Box & Storage and Video & Audio category. The rating for the DVD category will be 95%. I will take a few points from it because of the scattering of the extras across the DVDs.

I know it’s not a big deal to other people but I found it really annoying and frustrating when I was watching. I’m sure that there are people who can easily ignore that play button (for them I’m sure the actual score will be perfect 100%) but I have to be honest I’m not one of them.

This brings us to an overall rating of 98% for the “The Complete First Season DVD” box set. Concluding, this box set is of great quality and I definitely recommend it.

Fringe Season 1 DVD set

Overall Rating: 98%

Best Seller:  CDuniverse

Returns: 30 days Money back Return Policy

Guarantees: Safe Shopping Guarantee

Shipping: Usually ships in 1-2 days

==> Get your DVD box set and enjoy uninterrupted hours of Fringe <== 

I hope you enjoyed this review and if you have any questions about this DVD box set or want to leave your own personal experience with this box set, leave a comment below.



By SFMTV

Hi There! I am Sci-Fi Fan who wishes to share the love for Sci-Fi. Whether you know about Sci-Fi or not, on SFM&TV you will find interesting material to explore. I'll be happy to share with you what I know and to learn from you as well.

18 thoughts on “Fringe – The Complete First Season DVD Review”
  1. Lol, $27 for this is a bargain. I paid £55 here in the UK in 2012, just before the last season came out and it was worth every penny. This series is awesome. I watched the first 4 seasons in less than two weeks. Couldn’t even get any work done. 🙂

    1. Hi Jaco,
      just to clarify this is just season 1 and I totally relate to your situation.
      Thanks a lot for stopping by!

  2. I’m like you, I enjoy personal ownership of DVD’s and building a library just like books. I’m not a collector, so the box and extras are not as important to me, but if you are, your information is very good for the collector. I LOVE how this series incorporates new science into their shows, I find that all fascinating and another reason that this makes a great set to own and watch.

  3. I’ve never heard about Fringe before, but it seems like a rather interesting Sci-Fi series to watch. I sure will give it a try.
    I am personally not a fan of DVDs, but I still like to have a collection of various series and movies on my shelf so when there’s nothing on TV I can choose from the shelf.
    I am a fan of horror movies, do you have any recommendations for a Sci-Fi horror movie or series?

    1. Hi Kristina,

      I know what you mean. I am the same as you but I only have the DVD from the ones I know I will be constantly watching.

      What type of movies or series are you looking for? I am asking because there is a lot to choose from in the horror genre. My favorite Horror show is Buffy but I also like Supernatural, the walking Dead, Grimm and Stranger Things. Cloverfield, the Host, World War Z, The Book of Eli and the Road are among the latest sci-fi horror films that I’ve watched but if you need more choices check out my Sci-Fi Horror recomendations page

  4. Hi thanks for providing your review on the product I was really looking for someone to give me a review on it so I can find out what it is all about really appreciate it.

  5. Hey Dira, this DVD collection of Fringe sounds pretty cool! I have always been a huge fan of the Sci-Fi genre and I’ve been told by some friends that this particular series is very good! I mean, if J.J. Abrams is involved, then you KNOW it’s gonna be good. He did both Star Trek AND Star Wars after all!!!

    I’m kind of like you when it comes to actually owning a hard copy of things. I always like the way a box set looks on the shelf next to all the other great movies. Plus it makes it easy to share it with friends and family.

    Thanks for the recommend!

  6. I need go no further. The first item on your website was FRINGE! My husband and I absolutely loved Fringe . . . thought it was one of the best shows on TV. Of course, that didn’t stop the “people in the know” from yanking it, but it was a pleasure having it on the air. Thanks for recognizing it.

    1. Hi Diane,

      No discussion with you, it is indeed one of the best sci-fi shows. That is why we as fans are for. It may not be on air anymore but its still trending.

  7. I like this very well written review. I don’t have experience with this box set.
    I really like fantasy and science fiction, however, when I watched the first episode of Fringe, I didn’t like it. Maybe I need to give it another chance (Because of this review I think about it).
    If I was looking to buy DVD of a tv show, I am sure I would buy it. 🙂 On this review was everything that buyer needs to know – pros, cons, specifics, personal experience etc. What is your favorite episode of this show?
    Thank you for this review!

    1. Hi Linda,

      I’m very glad you liked it.

      I don’t wanna spoil the other seasons so I’m just gonna give you my favorite episodes of season 1. Alright?

      It’s hard to pic just one so here they are: “The Arrival”, “Bound”, “Bad Dreams”, “Inner Child” and icing on the cake “There’s More Than One of Everything” (not because Leonard Nimoy is in it…well who am I kidding:)…that may have some influence but don’t worry the episode is well written:)

  8. Dira
    Great review of The Fringe 1st season. It is very detailed and I enjoyed reading the pros and cons (even though it’s hard to find the cons) I loved the fringe! Hated when they took if off the air. You make me want to watch it again. Thank for the great review!

    1. Hi Julie,
      So nice to meet another Fringe fan. I am glad you liked it. Thanks a lot for taking time to read my review. I really appreciate it.

  9. Really enjoyed this review. I love science fictions movies and Fringe has been on my bucket-list of shows I need to watch. If I could give a recommendation: I watched The Mist last night and it was a stellar science-fiction/horror movie.

    1. Hi Rob,

      That is great! I was not aware that Stephen King’s series The Mist series started already. I did not see any marketing for this show. I will check it out. Thanks!

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